Central California fire forces more evacuations

The fire forced I-15 – the main artery between the Inland Empire and the High Desert – to shutter for more than a day.

Meanwhile, according to the Department of Natural Resources, in the west of the eastern Washington city, nine square miles were seared by a massive wildfire that also burned six houses. By Sunday evening, authorities lifted all evacuation orders, allowing only residents to enter. The largest of those blazes, known as the Yale Road Fire, grew to almost 3,500 acres on Monday, as crews struggled to suppress the flames that have so far destroyed 10 homes.

Officials say the human-caused fire reported Sunday about 7 miles east of Idaho Falls is making wind-driven runs to the north and east.

A bulldozer driver who was a private contractor helping firefighters contain the blaze died in the fire and three other people have been injured.

Cal Fire officials closed the Las Tables arm of Lake Nacimiento to all boaters because of the Chimney Fire. A half-dozen other wildfires were burning in the state, including one in central California that destroyed 34 homes and forced the closure of the famed Hearst Castle.

Just north of Big Sur, California’s largest fire grew held steady at 135 square miles in rugged wilderness coast along Highway 1.

Evacuation orders remain in effect for Coast Ridge Road from mile marker 1.5 to Marble Peak at the end of the road. It was caused by an illegal, unattended campfire built along a hiking trail in Garrapata State Park. It’s 60 percent contained.

A spate of fires throughout the U.S. state of California have left people displaced and thousands of square kilometres of vegetation destroyed. So far this year, there have been more than 4,900 wildfires statewide, charring more than 417,000 acres, he said. It has burned 58 square miles.

The fire that started July 18 is 40 percent contained but expected to burn through September when rain or snow arrives.

Scott Sayles was not able to immediately get back into his West Cajon Valley home because he has a Phelan mailing address. Firefighters are assessing homes in both communities for embers and removing trees that present a danger to firefighters and homes.

Several other fires in Central California have burned tens of thousands of acres of brush and prompted evacuations of campgrounds and recreation areas.

Bureau of Land Management spokesman Larry Moore says the wildfire is burning two miles east of the Owyhee Reservoir, and it’s threatening Succor Creek State Park.

Fire officials were initially concerned about fatalities, since a large number of people refused to evacuate. CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo reported Sunday on its Twitter feed that 150 homes were threatened and that some new evacuations were being “assisted by boat”.

Increased activity in the past 24 hours has led to more evacuation warnings for property owners in the path of the fire.

The flames have been ignited for seven days.

Crews over the weekend slowed the fire’s advance toward the castle by concentrating firefighters and engines in the area between the castle and the fire’s edge.